The Children's Moon by Carmen Agra Deedy and Jim LaMarche
Hello, Carmen Agra Deedy! Happy New Year! Thank you again for celebrating books with Barbara McClintock and me during the November 19th episode of Book Joy Live. I’m DELIGHTED to celebrate The Children’s Moon with you today. What ran through your heart the first time you saw Jim LaMarche’s illustrations for The Children’s Moon?
Carmen Agra Deedy: Purest delight! I love both the warmth, and the joyful other-worldliness, of Jim’s illustrations. The story required him to personify two heavenly objects––the sun and moon––and to do so in a way that would bring humor and visual storytelling to the text. This would be a challenge for any artist. I think Jim accomplished this with aplomb!
Scenario: A bookseller at your favorite bookshop asks you to fill out a shelftalker about The Children’s Moon. There is enough space for at least 400 characters.
Children love the moon.
A young child’s first glimpse of it will often cast a spell, rendering them moonstruck.
But did you know that the moon loved the children even before they knew of her?
You see, long ago the moon struck a bargain with her friend the sun so that she could see children by the light of day. This is how it all began . . .
What are 3 of your favorite facts about the moon?
Carmen Agra Deedy: I love that the moon is really shaped more like a mango than an orange.
I love that the gentle moon, while reflecting the sun’s rays, is also strong in her own right. A strength that draws the earth’s oceans.
I love that all countries, cultures, and religions have stories about our common night guardian, the moon.
Please finish the following sentences:
The sun is all the colors mixed together and this appears as white to our eyes. Crazy, huh? I love science.
When the moon appears the night rejoices.
Picture books are a perfect marriage of story and art. What childhood enticement could give a child more comfort than that?
Mr. Schu, you should have asked me what I thought of the moon as a little girl.
Well. I loved seeing the moon from my window in Havana; a diamond in a Caribbean sky. Then, when I was three, I became a refugee when we came to the U.S. I was very homesick. And then one night I saw the moon from my window; a diamond in a Georgia sky––and I was sure as sure could be that that old moon had followed us all the way from my homeland. I believed the moon loved me from the time I was three years old. I hope whenever kids see the Children’s Moon they’ll feel that same joy and wonder.
Carmen Agra Deedy: Purest delight! I love both the warmth, and the joyful other-worldliness, of Jim’s illustrations. The story required him to personify two heavenly objects––the sun and moon––and to do so in a way that would bring humor and visual storytelling to the text. This would be a challenge for any artist. I think Jim accomplished this with aplomb!
Children love the moon.
A young child’s first glimpse of it will often cast a spell, rendering them moonstruck.
But did you know that the moon loved the children even before they knew of her?
You see, long ago the moon struck a bargain with her friend the sun so that she could see children by the light of day. This is how it all began . . .
Carmen Agra Deedy: I love that the moon is really shaped more like a mango than an orange.
I love that the gentle moon, while reflecting the sun’s rays, is also strong in her own right. A strength that draws the earth’s oceans.
I love that all countries, cultures, and religions have stories about our common night guardian, the moon.
The sun is all the colors mixed together and this appears as white to our eyes. Crazy, huh? I love science.
When the moon appears the night rejoices.
Picture books are a perfect marriage of story and art. What childhood enticement could give a child more comfort than that?
Mr. Schu, you should have asked me what I thought of the moon as a little girl.
Well. I loved seeing the moon from my window in Havana; a diamond in a Caribbean sky. Then, when I was three, I became a refugee when we came to the U.S. I was very homesick. And then one night I saw the moon from my window; a diamond in a Georgia sky––and I was sure as sure could be that that old moon had followed us all the way from my homeland. I believed the moon loved me from the time I was three years old. I hope whenever kids see the Children’s Moon they’ll feel that same joy and wonder.
Look for The Children's Moon on October 19, 2021.
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